New opening times at Maiden Erlegh Library

20 February 2018

As part of the Council’s ongoing review of library services following last year’s consultation on its Library Offer, from Tuesday 2nd January 2018 the opening hours at Maiden Erleigh library will be changing.

As a result of discussions with the Maiden Erlegh Academy where the library is based, it has come to light that opening later in the day would enable the academy to better fulfil its safeguarding obligations. The new hours for the library will see it open at 3pm instead of 2pm; it will then stay open until 5pm on Mondays, 6pm on Tuesdays and Fridays, and 7pm on Thursdays. Saturdays will remain unaffected. These new hours mean that there will be no overall change in the number of hours which the library is open, but they allow opening later in the evening so that members of the public who cannot visit during the working days are now able to in the evening, and this is something which the public have requested from us in the past. The new hours will mean that the public library opens after the school day at the academy has finished; this will mean the added benefit that the site is less congested for library users.

Cllr Norman Jorgensen, Executive Member for Environment said “We are pleased that during our discussions with the Academy we have been able to identify an opportunity which enables them to operate more effectively, whilst also giving improved access to the library service for our residents”